Staropramen wrote:
From Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary;
No mention of alcohol.
I admit that my definition was from a secular dictionary and our context should be within the confines of the subject biblically. Just looking at a dozen Scriptures with the word revelry, it appears that at least half the time, it is associated with alcohol. Sometimes it is translated rejoicing. However, the words rejoicing and joy are very seldom are associated with drink. Moving into the prophetic future, which I touched upon, in Rev. 18:20-23, the Christians are rejoicing, but the modern Babylonians cease to revel i.e. all the partying "shall be heard no more." It's the spirit of the thing right?
So I wasn't using it in the sense of a drunken pot party or other such nefarious activities. I meant it as taking satisfaction in a celebratory fashion. In other words to rejoice.
I understand and again it is the spirit of the celebrant. One can be intoxicated with blood and gore without drinking.
I'm not learned on the subject of ancient warfare but I'll take your word on it. Regarding Jeremiah 10:2 would that not speak primarily to the motives behind the methods rather than the acts themselves?
Perhaps Bill could make a comment on the ruthlessness of ancient warfare, compared to today's sanitized means of elimination. Jer. 10:2 is frequently used as an anti-Christmas verse being that it is so similar to decorating a tree. Whether it's the act or the motive, God is repulsed by it. This goes to the heart of sin; is sin a mere act or is it preceded by the thoughts of man's heart. I don't think lawless is mindless.
Lets use as an example the niggers in Knoxville that kidnapped, tortured, raped and killed Channon Christian and Chris Newsome. They committed these crimes against innocent people because they enjoy doing them. It's entertainment to them. In my opinion they should all be tortured in the most painful ways imaginable not for fun, revenge, entertainment or sport. They should be tortured to serve justice. I would not personally enjoy the process of hog-tying them, cutting off their genitals and slowly forcing them to drink Drain-o. But I would do it because I believe it's just. After they are dead I would rejoice in an orderly celebration with praise to Yahweh that justice was served.
Show me in God's Law where torture is justified or justice is sadistic. If there is going to be a great historical extermination per Scripture, with the numbers of dead so great that it will take Israel seven months to bury them (to cleanse the land; Ezek. 39:12), then just from a logistical point of view, would there even be enough time for torture? It would seem to be counterproductive and not advancing the Kingdom expeditiously.
I don't believe that's taking anything from the heathen's playbook because my motivation is, I believe righteous and their motivation is pure evil.
It would seem that pouring draino down somebody's mouth would be unbecoming of even a Phinehas priest.
Again, in the New Testament, we are reminded of the soldier's duty to dispatch the enemy without any mention of fanfare or reveling in the demise of Babylon... "You return to her as she also had rendered, and you double twice the things according to her works. In the cup which she had mixed, you mix double for her!"
What does that passage of scripture mean exactly? We are commanded to do something to them that is a "double" portion of their works against us. That sounds like it supports my previous comments about emulating the ways of the heathen. That it's primarily about motive rather than the act itself when there is no clear scriptural admonishment against the act. It sounds like we're supposed to righteously torture Yahweh's enemies that tortured His children for sport.
It's the catholic church that has introduced the idea of God Himself torturing heretics and what not in Dante's Inferno; but, if we examine the justifications for the Inquisition, they are not grounded in Scripture. Of course the Bible does not mention every sort of dark and diabolical method to kill people, that's reserved for the kabalah. We can act either for good or evil; motives are not interchangeable. Having a just spirit is not the same as having a sadistic spirit to commit something good, because there is no good in sadism. Most people cannot fathom the most tortured man in history, our Lord an Savior Jesus Christ. Are we to repeat the suffering on the Cross with those whom His blood is upon them and their children? They're not good enough or deserve the same treatment. When they are thrown into a lake of fire, that sounds to me like a very quick and efficient way to accomplish the final solution. Bottomline: torture takes up time and time is of the essence. Our founders envisioned due process, a swift and speedy trial and if found guilty for capital crimes, executed without delay.
Mark